Letting readers have their say about life in Los Banos

It’s been awhile since readers had their chance to express their thoughts, and the mail bag (or email queue) is starting to bulge. So let’s hear what the readers have to say.

Dear John,

I think your Enterprise article about the teacher Jim Clarke was very good, except the part about the 1978 Proposition 13 reducing school revenues. We both know that California schools get about 54 percent of the California budget off the top by law. The problem is the spending directed by Willie Brown and Jerry Brown with total control of the state government.

And look at today with this communist built, democrat Feinstein train to nowhere. We have spent $20 billion the last 9 years and can’t finish it, with $80 billion in the next 20 years. For the $20 billion squandered we could have fixed all of our water storage problems and widened highways I-5 and 99 from Bakersfield to Redding.

Oh, and look our schools in money spent versus results--three Rs, last 200 years of history and everything else for GET AHEAD extra credit.

Corky Sherwood, Los Banos

CORKY, THANK you for your email, which enables me to ensure a variety of viewpoints are presented in this space.

Dear John,

Thank you for the column on spring training. Someday I will make it there. I watched a Cubs game the other day. Baseball makes me sooooo happy and what a great game it was. My “W” flag is flying already.

Susan Younce, Los Banos

SUSAN, I UNDERSTAND your enthusiasm for the game. I, too, was enthused when I heard from the Cubs sportswriter I met in Arizona, who sent this email:

John,

Great to meet you and read your column. All the best to you, your wife and your teams.

Mark Gonzales, Chicago Tribune

I received the following email from Nick, the kind person visiting the Los Banos library who helped author Geoffrey Beaumont, library tech Nola Ramirez and me find a cable which enabled Geoffrey to have a successful talk the next day:

Good evening, John,

I was on my way to Fresno again and stopped by the library. Nola handed me the article you wrote. I’m really touched by your kind words and thoughts. Thank you so much.

Nick Roman, Founder, Onibag, Inc., Multi-carrier Logistics

This was followed by an email from Geoffrey to Nick, with a copy to me.

Hi Nick,

I want to add my thanks to those of John and Nola. Through your kind intervention, you became our techie angel. (And now I have all the cables in hand for my next 10 upcoming presentations). If you are ever in my hometown, please feel free contact me and come over to my home for a glass of wine and a look at my extensive art collection.

You are a most kind and considerate young man, and I am in you debt.

Geoffrey Beaumont, Las Vegas

I got good news about two items featured in spring columns – the Los Banos Rotary Crab Feed and the Los Banos Campus of Merced College newly planted Food Forest.

John,

Thanks to help and generosity of so many people in Los Banos, the Crab Feed was Rotary’s best ever fundraiser. We Rotarians are grateful to everyone who supported this event.

David Dees, President

Dear John

The Food Forest planting on March 10 was fantastic. We had about 30 people from the college and from our local Rotary Club. I came home feeling rejuvenated!

Brenda Latham, Dean, Los Banos Campus of Merced College

The column on Los Banos resident Gerry Giesel’s new free little library brought comments from out of state.

John,

In our city we have many free little libraries. One has an interior light that brightens a browser on a dark evening! One has a pulley system for the door. Some are wallpapered inside. Some are double sided – one for children, one for adults.

Susan Tamulonis, Denver

Dear John,

I wanted to let you know in our community there are many little libraries around. They are very welcome, since the main library has been closed. My family and I use them all the time. In Los Banos, my friend Karen Weaver from Circle of Love has encouraged people to use these small libraries.

Dorothy Jones, Roseberg, Ore.

ON ANOTHER note: Los Banos lost a lot of its vitality with the passing of Mary Lamoglia. As her eulogist said, “Mary liked parties. All her life she liked giving them and going to them.” I would add that whenever and wherever Mary was around, her smile, laughter and good cheer made everyone feel as if they were at a party.

John Spevak is a resident of Los Banos; he wrote this for the Los Banos Enterprise. Email john.spevak@gmail.com.